Veterinary instrument.



0. GRITTENDEN. VETERINARY INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 'MAY 6, 1909;

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

witnesses UNTTEI) STATES PATENT onrgon.

ORLANDO CRITTENDEN, 0F ASHL AND, OHIO.

VETERINARY INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 7, 1911. Application filed May 6, 1909. Serial No. 494,231.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that l, ORLANDO CRITTENDEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Ashland, in the county of Ashland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Veterinary Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to veterinary instruments, and more particularly to a combined dilator' and impregnator for aiding conception in ostensibly barren mares, cows and other animals.

It is a Well known fact that one of the principal causes of barrenness in mares is due to the contraction or displacement of the opening in the cervix of the female, which obstruction or closure of the cervix prevents the passage of the male semen into the uterus and consequently prevents impregnation.

The principal object of the present in-' vention is to provide an impregnator by means of which the semen deposited in the vulva of the female, at the time of service by the male, may be introduced through the cervix into the uterus for intimate contact with the female ovum, thereby to aid conception and cause an otherwise barren mare or cow to become pregnant with foal. A

A further object of the invention is to provide an impregnator the construction of which is such as positively to prevent cutting or otherwise lacerating the mouth of the uterus when introducing the impregnator into the womb.

A further object is to provide the instrumentwith a nozzle or dilator having an annular row of orifices formed therein and through which the semen is drawn into the receiving chamber of the instrument for delivery to the womb, such an arrangement of perforations in the dilator. serving to increase the capacity of the instrument and allowing a uniform gathering of the semen on all sides of the dilatornwhich result is not accomplished when a single perforation is formed in the end of the dilator, as is the case with instruments at present employed for this purpose.

A further object is to make the nozzle or dilator removable, thereby to facilitate cleaning the same wlien necessary.

A still further object is generally to improve this class of inventions so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

tion 0 perspective View of the The combined impregnator and dilator forming the subject matter of the present invention comprises a tubular body portion 5 preferably circular in cross section, as shown, and formed of aluminum or other suitable material. One end of the body poris provided with exterior threads 6 for engagement with the correspondingly threaded wall of a head or closure 7, the lat ter being provided with laterally curved finger pieces 8, thereby to permitthe instrument to be readily grasped in the hand when inserting the same into the vulva of a mare or cow. The opposite end of the body portion 5 is interiorly threaded at 9 for engagement with a correspondingly exteriorly threaded reduced portion 10 of a nozzle or dilator, indicated at 11. The lower end of the dilator 11 is substantially conical, as shown, while the free end thereof is curved or rounded and highly polished so as to remove any surface projections or irregularities, and thus prevent the dilator from cutting, lacerating, or otherwise injuring the mouth of the uterus when the instrument is introduced into the womb. That portion of the nozzle or dilator 11 between the shoulder 12 and the conicalportion of the dilator is pierced by a circumferential row of orifices 13 through which the semen deposited in the vulva of the female during service is gathered into the receiving chamber for delivery into the Womb for the purpose of causing impregnation of the female. Such an arrangement of orifices is very desirable in an instrument of this character, inasmuch as the gathering of the semen from the vulva of the female is positively assured regardless of the location of the depositof semen within the same, whereas with aninstrument having a single orifice in the end of the dilator the semen can only be drawn into the receiving chamber at one point,

with the result that should the deposit of.

semen be on one side of the instrument the direction of the length of the same, until the thereof terminating in an operating handle 16 and its opposite end threaded at 17-for engagement with spaced clamping nuts or washers 18, there being cupped piston heads 9 introduced between the washers 18 and deflected laterally in oppositedirections for contact with the interior wall of the receivperforations or orifices 13 are within the womb, after which a forward movement imparted to the piston will forcibly eject the semen in the receiving chamber outwardly through the orifices 13 into the womb, thus causing the semen to come into intimate contact with the female ovum and cause impregnation in an apparently barren or sterile mare.

The impregnator may also be used for transferring a portion of the semen deposited by a male into the vulva of one female 'into the womb of another female when the services ofa male are in greater demand than he is able to render. By making the nozzle or'dilator adjustable the same may be the plunger is actuated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: V Aniimpregnator including a hollow body portion, a-dilator secured to one end of the body portion and having a cavity'formed therein and opening through one end of said dilator, the open end of the dilator being reduced and exteriorly threaded to form a nipple, said nipple defining an annular shoulder adapted to bear against the adjacent end of the body portion, that portion of the dilator beneath the cavity being solid and blunt and the exterior walls thereof gradually-tapered in the direction of the solid portion of said dilator, there being a single circumferential row of unobstructed'orifices formed in the side walls of the dilator in spaced relation to the blunt end thereof and communicating with the cavity, and means operating within the body portion for forcing fluid through said orifices.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ORLANDO CRITTENDEN. Witnesses:

C. P. WINBIGLER, C. W. GARVER. 

